(C _J[WILLIAM BREWSTER HARVARD UNIVERSITY. . LIBRARY OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY §3,3 BEQUEST OF WILLIAM BREWSTER Fuwany I, 19.20. on Ne ‘a nae nt ae ' iy aoe mart a Bae vey of ay Di nai ie i pea | , alah ne nd i ae ae Hn sds ry oa nA x ous ‘ a : rien 1 int sue ; ‘Dy Ate a 7 hi | on Hyiiten : niin J, ; ny, PIN y - i mit | Te) i A at Mi onus Pa AMA } on H ie } { Tytal eens para sie Mt fe vid) , i Hi i iA} I mi) Bett Ns BN tan Pr Aon ae) Ge pie We frais ] et Mae v si i ay VF ah dee fh f ‘i | ' iy i Na Hy rai RY rae et ae , vn i 0) Wy, Ae a 5 . me Wa) PMNS Bh Tenis ie Ase Wine ; WN tat ty sh ite ve LA © Ne Ah nen Vi ea th We ue ay { i Nis An th Hh nUBR: mut 1 i \ Mi [Te are hese ute ny i Wisin k Nay A ny; i i i Pau hay ip Quien iy PAN ler Wi AGM) WG TUN ae it} he) in RN nN Mh ih i iy tee tes ny AG) ahd WG SNA wilt a vi aUiah ny a yl (Z yy J LL CL< fe NY Pa” patil 1 Fronllsprece to Velume y 1" She Deir Herbler. clrawn from Nalure® clon by fj Golton. J HARMONIA RURALIS; AN ESSAY towards AN ATURAL HISTORY BRITISH SO N.G BTR brs. ree VOLUME THE FIRST. shed erO dee dor der ILLUSTRATED with Figures the Size of Life, of the Birds, Male and Female, in their most natural Attitudes ; their Nests and Eggs, Food, favourite Plants, Shrubs, Trees, &c. &c. FAITHFULLY DRAWN, ENGRAVED, AND COLOURED AFTER NATURE, By the Author, ON FORTY COPPER-PLATES, eabeederd Oder der doe The Warblers are heard in the Grove, The Linnet, the Lark, and the Thrush, The Blackbird and soft-cooing Dove, With Music enchant every Bush, seb eeb eed eter NATURA SEMPER EADEM, SED ARTES SUNT VARI. arbed eed Oder der den BY FAMES B eh umount PRINTED FOR AND SOLD BY THE AUTH OR AT STANNARY, NEAR HALIFAX; SOLD ALSO BY B. AND J. WHITE, IN LONDON, AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS. 1794. TO. THE BRITISH LADIES, NATURALES® S; and to all such as admire THE BEAUTY OR MELODY of the Feathered Warblers, HTS ESSAY towards A NATURAL HISTORY of BREEISH SONG BIRDS, is most respectfully inscribed by | their obedient and humble Servant, The Author. Megs Lea ; PREFACE. de Oderare Ornithology being a very extensive branch of Natural History, complete works on . that subject, if well executed, must be attended with very great expence to the pub- lisher, and consequently must cost an high price to the purchasers of copies. I hope, therefore, it will not be unacceptable to the lovers of Songbirds, to be possessed of an’ History of these alone, separated from all the rest. No one who takes a walk in the fields in a summer morning, can fail of being agreeably entertained by the Feathered Warblers, and may perhaps return with a wish to be informed in the history of the individuals which have afforded pleasire of so refined and so exalted a kind. The country gentleman, who is descrous to. know what species of Birds they are which with ther song so agreeably enliven the trees in his avenue, or the shrubs an his wilderness, may not be willing to go to the enormous expence of a general Mistory of Birds, with figures faithfully drawn, and coloured from nature. The lady who gives place in the apartments of her house to a few pretty Song- birds, may wish to be informed of their manners, nests, eggs, food, places of resort, &c. Gc. in a wild state, or state of nature; at the same time having no desire to acquaint herself with the history of the vulture, the cormorant, the crow, the gull, the booby, the dottrell, Sc. Sc. The Nests of Birds, containing the Eggs, faithfully copied from the natural | subjects, will not, I trust, be unacceptable to ladies, to ornithologists, and to all those who find pleasure in contemplating the works of nature. The Eggs on many of the British Birds, are excellently figured in a superb work on British Birds, now publishing by Mr. Lewin. These were painted From the natural subjects in the late Portland Museum, most of which subjects were vi hee PREFACE, eb erbderdee were collected i” Yorkshire, and communicated to that noble repository by me: The natural history of a Bird can no more be perfectly known, while we are in any part ignorant of its nest, eggs, food, habitation, Sc. than we can be said per- fectly to understand the natural history of a moth or a butterfly, at the same time that we are ignorant of the caterpillar and the aur urelia, from which this moth, or that butterfly was produced. _ Birds, considered in respect to the elegance of heir shape, and diversity and brilliancy of their colours, are doubtless superior to any other class in the brute "creation, Where can we find a more beautiful piece of mechanism than in the wing of a Bird displayed, or even ina single feather, when. minutely examined 2 There is an easy and elegant sweep in the outline which corcumscribes a Bird, per haps not to be found in that of any other animal, and the beautiful arrangement of the feathers in every part claims our admiration. ’T is pity to observe, that in most figures of Birds, the feathers are either wholly disregarded, or else most vilely mangled, most- wickedly deranged. ; In describing the nests, though I have mentioned the materials which composed the individual under notice, 2¢ must not however be understood, that the same species of Burd always strictly confines itself to the same materials, though in general we find tt so; for I have seen many instances to the contrary, one of which I will give as J find it in my notes concerning Birds. On the tenth of May, — A.D. 1762, I observed a pair of goldfinches beginning to make their nest in my garden; they had formed the groundwork with moss, grass, Sc. as usual, but on my scattering small parcels of wool in different parts of the garden, they in a great measure left off the. use of their own stuff, and employed the wool; after- ward, I gave them cotton, on which they rejected the wool, and proceeded -with cotton; the third day I supplied them with fine down, on which they forsook both the other, and finished therr work with this last article. The nest, when completed, " was somewhat larger than is usually made by this bird, but retained the pretty roundness of figures and neatness of workmanship, which is proper to the gold- finch. The nest was completed in the space of three days, and remained unoccupied Jor the space of four days, the first egg not beng laid till the seventh day from beginning the work. The descriptions of the Birds, though plain and simple, are nevertheless true, being made immedzately from a close examinaiton of the Birds themselves. If they : be PREFACE, . Vili be found to disagree with the descriptions given by “others, as of course they must an little particulars, 2t must be observed, that the colowrs of some Birds vary according to age, some species not arriving at the perfect state of their feathering dill three or four years old. I have endeavoured, however, to make choice of the most perfect subjects, and as I found them in their wild state, not cramped or mutilated by being confined in cages. In the same genus or family of Birds there 15 a general similarity or agree- ment prevails amongst the species, in the figure and situation of the nests, as well as in the materials of which they are composed, and the eggs which they contain. The various species of larks compose their nests of dried’ grass and hair, placing them on the ground. Linnets chuse out some low bush, and compose their nests of moss, hair, and down. Finches nestle in some prickly shrub or tree, and fabricate their nests with small sticks, moss, wool, roots, hair, and feathers. Wrens and most of the summer warblers hide their nests under brakes or bushes near the ground, in walls or hollow trees, and make use of fern, moss, grass, hair, and feathers. But be the matter of which the nests are composed, or the place where they are found, what they may, there is in every species something peculiar to itself, im the size, form, and habit of the nest and eggs together, by which any one that has well observed them, is enableil to say with certainty, on sight of the nest and eggs, to what Bird they belong. The Eggs, in some species, are subject to variety in respect of colour ; the tit- _ lark, for instance, 1s a perfect Proteus in this particular, not only in separate nests, but in the same individual. I have seen nests of this bird with five or six eggs, and not two amongst them precisely alike, erther in the markings, or the hue of colour. The Eggs of the lesser field-lark are also variable in colour. The greater and lesser crested larks, though said to be natives of Yorkshire, are rarities-I have not yet been able to discovery though I have Sor many years _ made diligent search after them. *. That the male birds in the skylark, the lesser field-lark, and the woodlark, have a power of raising the feathers on the crown, in form of a crest, and that they do erect them in breeding -time, I very well know ; but as to what are called crested larks, if specifically distinct_from these, are birds with which I am unacquainted ; and if any one will favour me by sending fair specimens of meres alive or dead, the obligation shall be gratefully acknowledged by me. If Vill PREFACE. adeeb Sender If the keepers of cage birds should find fault with this essay, because I have not allotted a particular chapter to the diseases and cure of each species, I would re- fer them to a well-known litle book of Songbirds, by Mr. Eleazar Albin, where they will find enough sard on this subject, most of which he transcribes from Ray's edition of Willoughby’s Ornithology, as Ray before him had done from other writers on the subject, as far back as to the time of Aldrovandus and Gesner. Such of theSongbirds as abide with us all the year, feed on various kinds of seeds, fruits, and insects. The goldfinch, chafinch, linnets, Sc. delight in the seeds of the various species of thistle, ragwort, groundsell, and other downy seeded plants. The yellow-hammer, bunting, reed-sparrow, Sc. on grain, and the seeds of grass and reed. Thrushes on berries, worms, small snails, and beetles, of all which a sufficient supply may easily be obtained during the warmer months ; and uf the kechers of cage birds would be at a litile pains to provide them with their natural food, it would tend much to the health and value of those birds ; whereas they are often destroyed, or spoiled, by feeding on old musty seeds, stale sour bread, and putrid water. The summer warblers must be fed with animal food, of all which the various species of flies; brought to them alive, are the most agreeable. But in one, as well as the other, your success chiefly depends on the freshness and sweetness of their food and water, in not giving them too large a quantity ai one time, and too long neglecting them at another ; in placing them in an airy, well-lighted room ; in securing them from the severity of the winter’s cold, and screening them from the scorching heat of summer; in keeping their apartments free from cats, mice, or other vermin ; and in keeping their cages, cups, boxes, and every thing about them, at all times, perfectly sweet and clean. At the heads of the descriptions I have given the Linnean names of the Birds, with references to the Systema Nature of that Author; and at the end of the other volume will be given an index, with references to the figures of Authors. The second volume, which completes the work, will contain the same number of plates as this, and will be published in due time. STANNARY, NEAR HALIFAX, » April the rst, 17946 ' Books published by the Author, I. An HISTORY OF BRITISH FERNS, in Two Parts, Royal Quarto, with Figures of all the Species and Varieties, drawn, engraved, and coloured from Nature, by the Author, Price, in Boards, 2/. 25. II. An HISTORY OF FUNGUSSES growing about HALIFAX, with the Appendix, Four Volumes, Royat Quarto, with 182 Plates, containing a great Number of Figures, all drawn, engraved, and pesuneally coloured, by the Author, Price, in Boards, 8/. 85. Sold by the Author, at Stannary, near Halifax; by B. and J. White, in London; J. Todd, York; J. Binns, Leeds; and by all other Booksellers. sete ; EoD eebeebderder den STURNUS. VULGARIS. Linnaei Syst. Nat. 290. THE STARLING, OR STARE. IP WNIIO IG Ti. Starling i in shape resembles the common black- bird, but is inferior in size. The bill is compressed, broad at the tip; in the cock of a pale yellow, in the hen dusky; the irids of the eyes are brown, paler on the upper side. The head, neck, back, throat, breast, and belly, are black, with a gloss of purple, varying into green, very bright and glistering. _ The feathers are narrow and pointed, and those on the neck, back, rump, and on the thighs, in the male bird, are tipped with a brownish colour at their extreme _ points. In the female these spots are paler, larger, and more numerous, being extended over the whole head, neck, breast, and belly. The first quill feathers of the wing are of a dusky black, with narrow borders of a pale brown. The sec- ond quills are of the same colour, with a shade of a darker hue near the tip. The covert feathers glister with green, and those next the shoulder of the wing are some of them pointed with brown. The tail is shorter than that of the blackbird, a little forked, and of a dusky black; the feathers have narrow borders ofa pale brown. The legs and feet are of a yellowish flesh colour; the claws horn colour, with black tips. Their food is worms, beetles, and various kinds of berries, and in this part of the kingdom they seem to be particularly fond of those of the * berry-bearing-heath, crowberries, of which I have given a figure, with its fruit, at the bottom of the plate. * Empetrum nigrum. fo} Nh Go é ! hte Tita iy vy ‘i \\v Wy \\\\ Va) 1 = is OY il © Nea TT | UR ivy ant we \) ; bcgfeysst ba SAM a oe We Gy Re nak Gy “4 ey S/T A Pat neg $10 shi gd ae pre piss 2 a ‘i Hie - fe 2 sab eeberbadee Cee dee NEST AND EGGS OF THESTARLING. PLATE II. Starlings make their nests in old buildings, such as castles, towers, &c. and sometimes 1n the clefts of rocks. The nest before me is formed of straw in the lower part, in the middle with a coarse kind of hay, and the inner coat or lining of fine soft hay, with a few feathers. The whole is a rude and loosely compacted fabrick, neither firm nor handsome. In this nest was four eggs, about the size of those of the throstle, they are of a pale bright blue, with a cast of green, and are destitute of spots. The Starling is not valued for his own song, but for the beauty of his plumage, for his docility and aptness in learning to whistle or to speak. Those who. wish to have good birds for caging, should have them taken out of the nest at three or four days old; for if they are suffered to remain ten or twelve days in the nest, they will retain, for their whole lives, too much of their own harsh notes and disagree- able scream. As soon as they are taken out of the nest, they may be kept ina small basket, with soft dry moss. Let them be kept reasonably warm, and fed often, giving them but little ata time. Let the moss be renewed every day, and let them at all times be kept dry and clean, for on this care depends your success. Such tunes or notes as you wish them to learn, should be played or whistled to them, from the first day you take them out of the nest. —~ SS = F y > : ——a™ = ——anx WF SSeS WF = SSS yt pee Ny Soe Apt Hvis i PE ton Ne " IMeaie Mite Nass) Bon PAN ns SHIR 9 re) eb gss Grease TURDUS VISCIVORUS. Lin. Syst. Nat. 291. THE MISSELBIRD. PLATE Ill. ee is the largest of the British song birds, being ten inches and an half long. My figure in plate the third is a little reduced to bring it within compass. The bill is short and strong, the upper chap pretty much curved, and of a black colour; the lower is dusky at the point, and horn coloured at the base. Between the bill and the eyes is a bed of white downy feathers, and several upright black bristles grow about the base of the bill. The inside of the mouth is yellow, the eyes brown, and the feathers which cover the ears are of a pale colour. The head is of a dusky ash colour, with a strong cast of olive, the back and rump are olive colour, the latter more yellowish. The tail consists of twelve feathers of the same colour as the back, except the two outmost on each side, which at the tips are clouded with white. The lower side of the bird, from bill to tail, is ae with a dash of yellow brown on the sides of the breast, and under the wings, and all the white part is beauti- fully spotted with black spots of various shapes; those on the throat and upper part of the breast are triangular, on the lower part oval or kidney-shaped, and towards the tail lunated. The legs and feet are yellow, the claws are black, very much curved, and sharp pointed. The wing 1s olive-coloured, the first and second quills having white tips. The coverts have broad white mar- gins. Feeds on the berries of * masseltoe when it can find them ; it also eats insects, bilberries, haws, and other small fruits, like the rest of the thrushes. * Viscum album, s! Bierectie eee ae berber gerdendee NEST AND EGGS OF THE MISSELBIRD. PLATE IV. The Misselbird most commonly places her nest in an ash tree, at the coming out of one of the branches, a good height from the ground. In the nest before me the first lay consists of von kinds of moss, hay, stalks of dried plants, &c. which being brought in great plenty, and disposed in a very rugged manner, constitute the chief part of the fabri ge Upon this follows a lay of plaster, composed of clay mixed with cow’s dung, so well tempered together as to form, when dry, an hard tough shell of about half an inch thick. Upon this is laid another covering of seft dry grass, which is neatly platted both in the cavity and all round the borders of the nest. ‘The diameter of the cavity is about four inches, the depth not fully two. This nest was built between the triple division of the branch of an ash tree, and hung all round with the * ash- liwerwort, so as to hide it on every side. On removing it I found that some part of the liverwort grew from the tree above and round about the nest; but the greater part of it was very artfully wove in with the grass and moss on the outer margin of the brim, and left to hang loose about the sides of the nest, just as it hung on other parts of the tree. By this artifice the bird often secures her nest, concealing it from the gape of the ignorant country bumpkin, or the pr ying eye of the meee school-boy. How cunning is nature in the indulgence and preservation of her species! She lays four eggs of a dusky flesh colour, having a cast of green, and large spots of brown or purple. The Misselbird is the earliest of our song birds. In the month of January, if the weather is mild, he sings most sweetly; his song resembles that of the throstle, but his pipe is sweeter, and his notes more mellow. * Lichen fraxineus. Ss a oy \ \ \ ) Nn \ X \) df , ne iN\ {),) 7 , \ Mi), \\ \ vn bed eeddergeeden TURDUS MUSICUS. Syst. Nat. 292. SONG THRUSH, OR THROSTLE. PLAC: Aeke bill is an inch long, the upper mandible of a dusky colour, the lower yellow. The mouth within yel- low, between the bill and eyes is a pale coloured spot, and between that and the throat a dark one. The eyes are brown, large, very bright, and piercing. The crown of the head, the back, and whole upper side are of a pleasing olive colour, in some places inclin- ing to the yellow, as about the lower part of the back, in others more dusky, as about the head. In the wings are eighteen quill feathers of a dusky olive colour, with pale coloured edges. The first and second covert feathers have white tips, the feathers un- der the wings are a kind of pale flame colour. The whole underside of the bird, from bill to tail, is white, with only a faint dash of olive colour on the sides of the breast, and the throat, breast, and belly ele- gantly spotted with black spots of various figures, as in the last species. The tail consists of twelve equal feathers of a dark olive colour. The legs and feet are of a light horn colour, the toes long and slender, and the claws black. The Throstle feeds on insects and berries, is fond of the different kinds of bilberries. I have given figures of the * cranberry in flower, and with fruit. The cock bird perches on the uppermost twig of the tallest trees, and sings stoutly from March to September. * Vaccinium oxycoccus. 4, p, /i ie le. Cr \/ te ae | ( We ce || ewes = RS 7 | { : Pitino iin vi 6 Abed eeb eee den dee NEST AND EGGS OF THE SONG-THRUSH. PLATE VI. Song-Thrushes generally build their nests in some close thicket, or low bush, near the ground. The out- side is formed of small sticks, withered leaves, grass, and various kinds of moss. Plenty of these materials are huddled together in a loose and negligent manner. The inmost coat or lining is made of a mixture of clay and rotten wood, with afew slender blades of withered grass to bind it together. This coat, in the nest before me, is near half an inch thick; upon this plaster the eggs are laid, no grass or soft covering being put upon ie as in that of the blackbird, tniceelbicd, fee The eggs are of a beautiful pale blue, with a cast of green, ona marked with a few distinct purple spots. The eack is distinguished from the hen by the gen- eral hue of his colours being brighter and stronger, par- ticularly by the light-coloured line which. passes om the bill to the eyes being whiter in the cock, and the dark-coloured line being | darker. = C CL ~ ff y 7h ON OE! wie eee Seat a NR Bastin NENT (ne iy aia FT Z TURDUS MERULA. Syst. Nat. 295. THE BLACKBIRD, OR OUZLE. PLATE VII. ‘Le bill is an inch long, in the cock of a fine bright gold colour, in the hen dusky towards the point, yellow towards the base. The inside of the mouth is yellow, the eyes are brown and very bright, the circle round them yellow. The whole plumage of the cock, in old birds, is an intense steady black without glossiness. ‘The hen is of a dusky black, inclining to brown; the throat and. upper part of the breast excepted, which are of a dull dirty white, spotted. with black. The wing is composed of eighteen feathers, of which the second order of quills are remarkably large and broad. The tail consists of twelve feathers, and when displayed is fan-shaped, the outer feathers being shorter than the middle ones. The legs and feet are black, or of a very dark horn colour. The Ouzle is a solitary bird, accompanying with his mate only in breeding time. He inhabits solitary and rocky woods near rivulets; and when surprised in his lonely haunts, flies from the presence of the intruder with an hideous loud scream. Their food is insects and berries, and they seem to delight most in the * hawthorn. The attitudes of the cock are bold and majestic, par- ticularly when he feeds. Stooping, displaying his tail, turning his head this way and that, and casting his eyes on every side as to avoid a foe. * Crategus oxycantha. IY SS —— 2 xceohding to het of Burlament Aah thakerrl 19+ By fem NO al dromeny vec" Valipar. MC? TIS RARY IRARVARD UNIVENSITY | GANRRIDGE. NA USA™! bebe d gent eoden NEST AND EGGS OF THE BLACKBIRD. PLATE VIII. The Blackbird breeds in solitary places, and conceals her nest very artfully in the bottom of some close bush near the ground. The nest before me was built in an Nthorn where it was concealed by surrounding branches. The outside is composed of various kinds of moss, which is wove and platted together with blades of grass, dried leaves, &c. These are brought in plenty and firmly bound together. Upon this is a coat of plaster, composed of a mixture of clay and cow’s dung, well wrought and tempered together. And over this a soft covering of the dried blades of hair-grass, which is neatly wove and platted together in the. bottom and sides of the cavity, as well as upon the brim of the nest. In the nest was four eggs of a dusky blue green, with numerous small points of a darker colour. The Blackbird sits concealed while he sings. In breeding-time, his whistle is so loud and shrill as to make the dice re-echo. When two are singing at the same time within hearing of each other, they will contend in song like the nightingale, each keep- ing silence alternately till the other has repeated his song. The Ouzle, as well as other birds of the thrush kind, when taken in traps, or otherwise, are easily reclaimed by being put in large cages with tame birds of the same species, ‘placing for a fen days, haws, hips, worms, &c. in the cage, still giving him fewer and fewer every day, and in the space of a fortnight he will wean himself, and take the tame birds’ food. . ares ae , ae. om ae + NOs e Siren ert ee ee oe TURDUS TURQUATUS. Syst. Nat. 296. THE RING-OUZLE, OR HEATH-OUZLE. PLATE) 1X. oes bird, in shape and size, is equal to the ouzle or blackbird. In the bird before me, the bill is of a yel- low ochre colour, except the point, which is dusky. The mouth is yellow within. The eyes a dark brown. The whole upper side of the bird, from bill to tail, is black, witha cast of brown somewhat bright and shining. The head is of a fuller black than the other parts of the body. The quill feathers of the wing are the same colour as the back, except their exterior edges, which are white. The first and second coverts also have white edges. The tail is composed of twelve black feathers, with pale coloured edges. On the breast of the cock is a lunated mark of a clear white, terminating in a point on each side of the neck; else the whole underside of the bird is the same colour as the back. The hen differs from the cock, in that the mark is not white on the breast, but of a dusky brown. The colour of the back is more fuscus. The feathers on the breast have grey borders, and the bill is dusky. The feet and legs in both are of a dusky horn colour. These birds sometimes visit the mountainous parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, where they breed. They come in April, and leave us in October; but whence they come, or whither they go, I know not. A remarkable circumstance 1s, that they do not visit us reoularly every year. Sometimes a few pairs visit my neighbourhood, sometimes they come in plenty, and sometimes for the space of two or three years we see them not. They feed on fruits and insects. I have figured the flowers and fruit of the * mowntain-ash, or guicken- tree. * Sorbus aucuparia. \ SORRY ‘ g \ SS NNR vin MUNA Ni eS N n \ NANA | NS Wt Nh i OY ‘ AN WSS SNS Ss PT Ms Benes by PAW iy! ype ie, veh 10 NEST AND EGGS OF THE RING-OUZLE. PLATE X. The nest I described was composed of many small sprigs and branches of heath, mixed with moss and dried stalks of plants. These were plentifully bestowed on the bottom and sides of the nest, and with them the figure and cavity thereof was formed ; within this was a coat of plaster, composed of mud mixed with — small blades of grass and fibres of roots, and upon the plaster was another coat of fine soft grass, which also covered the brim of the nest, and was very neatly and smoothly laid, as in the nest of the blackbird. The eggs were four in number. In size and colour much like those of the blackbird, but are splashed with broad spots of a red brown, by which they are at once distinguished from the eggs of that bird. The outside of the nest was quite covered with dried oaken leaves, warped or sewed to the other materials with blades of grass, fibres of roots, &c. This nest was built on the ledge of a rock, about six feet from the ground, artfully hid amongst surrounding heath, mixed with fallen oaken leaves. The cock sings sweetly in breeding-time. His voice is less loud than any of the foregoing; but it is soft and mellow, and he has a pleasing variety of warbling notes. 4 ae vt nth : ) ty a “rt seb ebeabaergendes LOXIA PYRRHULA. Syst. Nat. 300. THE BULLFINCH, OR NOPE. PLATE XI. Die bill is very thick, short, hooked, and black. 'The eyes are brown and small. The head is of a silky black, with a gloss of purple, which colour reaches down to the nape of the neck. The back is of a bluish ash colour. The rump a pure white. The covert feathers of the tail, as well as the tail itself, are black, with a purple gloss. The first quill feathers of the wings are of a dusky black ; the second quills, a bright glossy black purple, the innermost excepted, which is red on the exterior — side of the shaft. The greater coverts are black, deeply pointed with a pale ash colour. The lesser coverts the same colour as the back. The upper part of the throat, and the lower jaws, are surrounded with a list of black, which unites with the black of the forehead at the eyes. The cheeks, breast, and upper part of the belly, are of a soft reddish crimson. The lower part of the belly, and covert feathers under the tail, are white. The tail con- sists of twelve feathers of a glossy purple black. The Bullfinch is not valued for his own song, but for his beautiful plumage, his great docility and aptness to take the song of other birds, to whistle after the pipe, or even to speak. Their food is insects and the buds of fruit-trees, particularly the apple, pear, and peach. Therefore they are very destructive to the fruit, when permitted to haunt fruit-gardens and orchards. I have figured the cock on a branch of the * wild-apple, or crab-tree. * Pyrus malus. SS NN \ uw a ~ | Sy is = > EN a ¥A = = Seb eepesb are deedee NEST AND EGGS OF THE BULLFINCH. PLATE XII. The hen Bullfinch differs from the cock, in that her breast is not crimson, but of a dusky red brown. The back is of a dirty ash colour, and the black of the head, tail, and wings, less bright and glossy. She builds her nest in woods, particularly where sloe- bushes and crab-trees abound. For the ground-work she makes use of a number of small sticks broken off a proportionable length. These she places cross-wise on the divisions of a suitable branch, and upon these the nest is built of woody roots, the largest near the bottom and round the sides, the smaller within. The inside, or lining, is made of very fine fibres of roots, without any other materials. In the nest before me, the diameter of the cavity is upwards of two inches and an half, the depth an inch. This nest contained five eggs of a pale blue green, with dark purple blotches, and small red spots. Those who would bring up Bullfinches from the nest, with a view of teaching them to whistle, or to 1m- itate the song of other birds, should take them about four days old; for if they are left to the age of ten or twelve days, they acquire some of the harsh notes of the parent, which they will never quit. SlfaN we SS = SMS eb esp eeb der der dee LOXIA CHLORIS. Syst. Nat. 304. THE GREENFINCH. PLATE XIII. Bes bill is thick, straight, and sharp-pointed, of an horn colour, except the tip, which is dusky. The eyes are brown, the eye-lids white. The fore part of the head, and the cheeks round the bill, are yellow, with a cast of olive. © The head and back are olive, with a shade of brown. The rump inclines more to yel- low. The outer borders of the seven first quill feathers are of a bright yellow, as are also those of the bastard wing. The next quills are edged with a dusky green, and the last are wholly dusky. The first row of cov- erts are of a dusky ash colour, the second a yellowish ereen, brighter than the feathers on the back. The throat and breast are a green yellow, the belly more yellow, and becomes almost white about the thighs. The tail is a little forked, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middlemost of a dusky black, except the upper part of the exterior margins, which are olive-coloured. All the rest are yellow, except about half an inch of the lower part, which is dusky. The legs and feet are of a dusky horn colour, and the claws black. The colour of the hen is in all parts more dusky and dull, and in old birds the feathers of the back and breast have brownish dashes down their shafts. airax. Y OVS WTO. mar (ep Uo Mar San nar ay REM . ierah \ sth Oy elias Wenn yi « * Se, ital my) b) vy i Seb bee deeteedee NEST AND EGGS OF THE GREENFINCH. PLATE XIV. The Greenfinch makes her nest in some close hedge or bush, more frequently in an holly than any other tree. She lays for the foundation a number of small sticks, which cross each other every way, in the same manner of those of the bullfinch. Upon these, in the nest be- fore me, is laid a great quantity of coarse moss, mixed with sticks, roots, and cow’s hair; and upon these, immediately under the lining, is a thick coat of roots firmly entangled together, and over these is a thick coat or lining of red cow’s hair. The diameter of the cavity is two inches, the depth an inch and an half. The brim of the nest is ragged and uneven, and the whole very roughly fabricated. In this nest was six eggs of a pale bluish white, or milk and water colour. They are marked with brown and purple spots. The Greenfinch feeds on grain, berries, the buds of trees, and insects. The song of the Greenfinch is harsh and unpleasing; but the beautiful colours and fine shape of the cock, together with his docility and aptness to learn, renders him well worthy the esteem of those who delight in this branch of natural history. The Greenfinch is a stout and hardy bird, and not subject to diseases, if you keep him clean. They are sometimes kept in cages in order to ring a chime of small bells. They should be fed with rape and canary seeds, for that of hemp makes them grow fat and lazy. cn yi ik ate WA han ny at ebb dengue der EMBERIZA MILIARIA. Syst. Nat. 304. THE COMMON BUNTING. PLATE XV. Tine bill is large, thick, sharp pointed, and of an horn colour. The lower chap has a remarkable rising angle on the side, which rests on the outside of the upper chap when the mouth is shut. The eyes are brown, having a narrow circle of white round the eye-lids. The head is large, covered with feathers of a dusky olive or lark colour, each having a dark-coloured line along the shaft. The back and rump are the same colour with the head, only they are darker along the middle of the feathers. The quill feathers of the wings are dusky, edged with a pale brown. The covert feathers are also dusky, with broad borders of a pale bright brown. The tail is a little forked, consisting of twelve feathers of a dusky black, with pale brown edges. The throat, breast, and belly, are of a dull white, with a dark stroke down the middle of each feather. These dark spots are more black and distinct on the throat and breast. On the belly they become narrow and faint, and disappear below the thighs. The legs and feet are of a pale horn colour. The claws crooked, black, and sharp. The Bunting feeds on grain, and is particularly fond of the black oat, an ear of which he will snap off with his bill, and taking it to the next wall, will hold it with his foot, while he shells off the hull, and eats the grain. von iy, A eBS et coheed eed darter des NEST AND EGGS OF THE BUNTING. . PLATE XVI: The Bunting builds her nest in some clump of fern, briers, or tall grass, often near the root of some low shrub. In the nest before me, the outside is composed of straw, small sticks, broken rushes, and moss. The whole of the nest is composed of these materials, save that the lining has a few hairs mixed amongst it. The whole is loosely and aukwardly put together, irregular, and incompact, the cavity is shallow, and the brim irregular and undefined. The eggs are large for the size of the bird. The ground colour is white, and they are beautifully blotch- ed, spotted, and streaked with black. Some of these spots and scratches are clear and distinct, others are dimly seen, appearing as if a blue pellicle was drawn over them. This last circumstance is not peculiar to the eggs of the Bunting, but common to those of most other birds which lay spotted eggs. The Bunting continues with us all the year round. In winter is gregarious, flying in flocks, and frequenting fields of stubble. In breeding-time, the cock perches on the tops of trees, chirping out his ditty all day long. His notes are not unpleasant, though low. They are more mellow and more varied than those of the yellow- hammer. The cock is a bold and stately bird, and well deserves a place amongst other birds, either in a cage, or an aviary. The hen differs little from the cock, only her col- ours in general are paler and fainter. P44) iy =S oN / he Re hay fc De he EMBERIZA CITRINELLA. Syst. Nat. 309. YELLOW-HAMMER. PLATE XVII. is bill is straight, sharp-pointed, of a pale yellow at the base, black at the tip. It has a rising angle on the lower chap, as in that of the bunting, and the rest of the genus. The eyes are brown. The tongue short and thick. The whole head, cheeks, and upper part of the neck is of a bright yellow in the cock bird, each feather having a dash or line of black down its shaft. In some birds there are touches and strains of orange colour amongst the yellow. The feathers on the back are a mixture of olive, green, and orange colour, with a black dash down the middle of each. The lower part of the back is of a tawny orange colour. The first quill feathers of the wing are of a dusky black, with yellow edges. The second also are black, but with broad margins of a fulvus brown. The tail is a little forked, consisting of twelve feath- ers, with yellow-green edges. The two exterior feathers on each side have a large white spot on their inner webs. The throat is yellow. The breast yellow-green, with orange strains down the feathers. The belly and cov- ert feathers beneath the tail, are yellow. The legs and feet are horn colour, the claws black. The hen differs from the cock, in that her colours are much duller in all parts, and in having the head, &c. of a brown green, where the cock is yellow. _ MCZ Ligeary - BARVARD UNIVERSITE CSMORIDGE. MA USA Cob eepeepaerderdee NEST AND EGGS OF THE YELLOW-HAMMER. PLATE XVIII. Yellow-hammers build their nests about the borders of woods, placing them on or near the ground, under the shelter of some bush or low shrub. In the specimen now by me, the outside is formed with broad blades of withered grass, fragments of leaves, dried stalks of plants, and various kinds of moss. These are well and closely compacted together, and with them the cavity is formed, and the general shape of the nest constructed. The lining consists of a thick coat of small fibres of roots, mixed with a few hairs. The diameter of the cavity is near three inches, the depth an inch and an half. The Yellow-hammer lays four or five white eggs, with blotches and scratches of a brown purple colour. In winter they fly in flocks. They feed on insects, on grain, and the seeds of plants, and in spring are fre- quently seen pecking about the catkins of the * hazle- tree, birch, alder, &c. ‘They also devour spiders and small beetles. I have figured the cock on a branch of the hazle-tree in blossom. The song of the Yellow-hammer is not excellent, though not unpleasant; it is short, and not much varied, but is ingeminated with boldness and spirit; and the fine shape and pretty colours of the cock bird suf- ficiently recommend him to all the lovers of this most beautiful part of animated nature. * Corylus avellana. phim MCZ LIBRARY HARVARD UNIVERSITY GAMBRIDGE. MA USA bebe dee dee dee EMBERIZA SCHCENICLUS. Syst. Nat. 311. THE REED-SPARROW. PLATE XIX. Ashe bill is straight, sharp-pointed, of a dusky yellow colour, and has a rising angle on each side of the lower chap. . The eyes are brown, having a narrow circle of white downy feathers round them. : The head of the cock is black. The cheeks brown red. Round the neck is a white ring, which takes its rise at the angles of the mouth on each side. The back is of.a tawny brown, with a black line down the middle of each feather. About the rump there is a mixture of ash-colour with the brown. ‘The quills are of a fuscus brown, with rust-coloured edges. The first and second covert feathers of a fuscus black, with broader edges, and tips of a rust-colour. The chin and throat in the male are black, the breast and belly white. On the sides, the middle of the feathers are dusky. The tail is a little forked. It’ consists of twelve feathers, of which the middle two are black, with red edges; the three next, on each side, are dusky, with red edges’; the fifth is white on the out border, and the sixth wholly white. The hen has no black on the head or throat, and the general hue of her feathers is paler and duller than that — of the cock. | The cock sings pleasantly. His voice, as well as his notes, are much finer and more pleasing than those of any other bird of the same family. SS M OMA GA fy Hi f NN if Ath aN CLT THA. Hh SuTAy “ iW rey) oy 48009 i J haan r) \ Da iS eb adem tee dee gee NEST AND EGGS OF THE REED-SPARROW. PILAUIE Xe 7 The Reed-sparrow makes her nest near some river, lake, or pond. Sometimes concealing it amongst sedges, fern, or rushes. Rarely, she suspends it between the stalks of the common * English-reed, as in the instance before us. The nest I now describe was suspended between three stems of reed, the leaves whereof were drawn together in such manner as to form a slight kind of lattice-work, upon which the foundation of the nest was laid. The nest almost wholly consisted of broken pieces of dried rushes; the stronger placed near the bottom, the finer round the brim.